New Beginnings
by HauntedMoonlight
Summary: After two years and nine months, he's back, and Sakura wants nothing to do with his traitorous ass. But that plan is tested when she becomes assigned as his babysitter of sorts. Sakura learns the hard way that it's not easy to say no to an Uchiha. Especially when the Uchiha in question is Uchiha Sasuke. SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I'm not a big fan of writing stories with multiple chapters, because I'm just plain bad at them. But here I am with a fic that I'm planning to expand to at least a dozen chapters. I'll try my best (though I may need your help sometimes), so bear with me!

**Title: **New Beginnings

**Summary:** Because even the best make mistakes, get hurt, fall in love, and screw up. Sometimes you just gotta live in the moment. SasuSaku

**Rating: **T for now, may change in the future _(THERE WILL BE LEMONADE, I'M WARNING YOU!)_

**Pairings: **SasuSaku main. Possibly minor NaruHina, NejiTen, ShikaTema, SaiIno in future. If you don't like those minor couples, it's okay—they'll probably just be mentioned sparingly. As long as you're a fan of SasuSaku, you're set.

**Warnings/Notes: **The first chapter's kind of a prologue, but whatever, haha. Future chapters will contain more drama, romance, humor, hurt/comfort, and so on. You might see Sakura as a bit OOC because she doesn't complete fangirl at Sasuke, but just think of it as her maturing.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, unfortunately.

_Read and Review, please!_

* * *

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Tap tap tap._

_Click._

"Ohayo, Tsunade-sensei! Why did you call…for me…"

Tsunade smiled at her pupil. She'd known exactly when Sakura would arrive (_goodness, the girl made such a racket ascending the stairs)_, but the suddenly palpable tension in the room made the Godaime want to giggle and proclaim a cheesy quote about young love, or lack thereof.

"Sakura, there you are," she put on her best surprised voice. It fooled Sakura, of course—the girl was naively gullible—but she had a feeling it wasn't lost on the other occupant of the suddenly small office.

An occupant whose onyx eyes glittered suspiciously.

_Uchiha Sasuke_.

"I thought you might like to welcome him back, before, well..."

"Before?" Sakura prompted quietly, still frozen in the doorway.

"Why, before his return is made public and he is reinstated as a member of Team Seven, of course," Tsunade smiled sweetly.

The pinkette spluttered. "H-H-He…but Tsunade-sensei, what about his punishment? He's been gone nearly _three_ years and has even plotted to invade Konoha! W-W-Wha…"

Tsunade waved the petty concerns away and clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Now now, Sakura. Sasuke-kun here is coming back in good graces, and we shall receive him as such. He's brought to us valuable information regarding Kabuto and Madara, as well as an informant that he's managed to capture."

"So you're say he _paid you off_?" Sakura's fists balled. "He bribed you?"

"I wouldn't say 'bribed'..."

"That's enough. I'm leaving," the younger woman spun around, making a move to escape.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. "Sasuke."

With annoyance flashing through his onyx eyes, the man sprung into action. Before Sakura could even begin to move, his hands were encompassing her thin ivory wrists, effectively binding her.

Sakura just barely managed to control her sharp intake of breath at the close contact. She couldn't fall for him, it was too painful. She wouldn't let herself be fooled again…

"Sakura." He spoke for the first time, his voice deeper and more refined than she'd remembered. And oh, how she'd remembered. One word, that was all it took for Sakura's resolve to shatter into a million pieces.

"S-Sasuke," she gasped before trying to wrench her arms away from his powerful grasp_. How could he be so strong? _"L-Let _go_!" She snapped. He ignored her.

"Anyway," Tsunade continued on as if her longtime student wasn't currently being rendered powerless by an ex-rogue. "You, Haruno Sakura, are to be responsible for Uchiha Sasuke's transition back into the life of a Konoha-nin. That means reteaching him the rules and guidelines, instructing him about everything there is to know about our village, and just being there for him."

The pink-haired woman finally stopped struggling. "…What?"

"Basically, you'll be his teacher of sorts as he readjusts to life here. This is being regarded as a fully-paid mission, the length of which is to be determined."

Sakura could care less about the pay. "What if I refuse?"

"That's the thing, dear. You can't, and you won't."

A pregnant silence overtook the room.

"Oh, and by the way," Tsunade shuffled the stack of paperwork lying neatly on her desk. "You'll be moving into the Uchiha manor for the duration of the mission."

It just got better and better.

-oOoOo-

Sakura could see nothing but faults with her new living arrangements.

Her friends, however, saw nothing but the bright side, no matter how misgiving that bright side may be.

"Hey, you get to live with a hot guy who just happens to be super strong and filthy rich," Ino had offered jealously. "I see nothing wrong with that!"

Tenten, Hinata offered a nervous, "G-Good luck," and Temari, who happened to be in Konoha as a substitute ambassador, had advised Sakura to "buy a lot of sexy underwear and seduce him while he's sleeping."

As for the opposite sex, it didn't get much better. Naruto had, of course, cheered about the fact that his long-lost teammate and friend was finally back. The whole matter of who would be supervising said teammate's life as a reinstated Konoha-nin was lost on him.

Sai had shrugged and handed her a condom, for which he sustained multiple wounds. The doctors were puzzled when the injured man's diagnosis was given as '_beaten unconscious w__ith a condom_.' Shikamaru gave her an amused look, yawned, and went back to sleep, Neji was just happy to finally have a chance to battle the arrogant Uchiha, and Kakashi…well, it involved the words "Always practice safe sex" and an offer to lend her copies of _Icha Icha Paradise, _which she had politely—albeit vehemently—refused.

All in all, it meant that she was alone, both in her dread and with Sasuke.

Yes, she, Haruno Sakura, was alone in the dark, gloomy, spiderweb-infested Uchiha Manor with a certain silent, infuriating Uchiha Sasuke.

Oh, joy.

"Well," she began, pausing to cough. The manor was filled to the brim with dust from almost three years of abandonment, and it wasn't helping her allergies any. The man next to her just kept as still as a statue. _Jerk. You could at least offer me a tissue. _"I guess we should clean this place up?"

She was met with no reply. Zero, nada, zilch, nil, _nothing._

She forced down her quickly uprising scream of frustration, and the overwhelming urge to start wheezing from the thick billows of dust emanating from within the large structure.

Much to her surprise, she was handed a surgical face mask, the thin papery type that filtered out dust and germs, by a still-emotionless Sasuke. Where he'd gotten it from, she didn't know, and frankly didn't care. She quickly donned it, tucking the loops behind her ears. The air filters soothed her irritated lungs immediately.

"T-Thanks…Sasuke," she mumbled.

"Hn." Finally, an acknowledgment of understanding. Maybe this wasn't so hopeless after all.

"So, which room should we work on first?" She asked cheerfully. Yes, a cooperative, pleasant, engaging Sasuke wouldn't be so bad to work with…

"…"

Her smile froze.

Scratch that, this was completely and utterly hopeless.

* * *

**A/N: **So, what did you think? I tried to make Tsunade sound kind of calculating and teasing. I don't know if it worked, but hey, I tried!

If you don't know what 'surgical face masks' are, just google 'surgical masks.'

**REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED!**

I know everyone says that, but reviews make me feel like an author with an engaged audience. And that's the best feeling in the whole wide world for me, haha.

I will do my best to reply to every non-anon review! Yosh!

_Thank you!_

~**Haunted**_Moonlight_~


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Chapter 2 up! Enjoy!

_Random Note: _A lot of the time, I stress out over how many reviews I get, but screw it. This is going to continue whether or not I get reviews :D

**That doesn't mean you shouldn't review, though! **

**Disclaimer: **Naruto isn't mine!

* * *

Ino intercepted her on her way back from a long day of hard work at the hospital.

Days when the newly-minted, overly-excited genin had group training were always horrible. Add in an inexperienced kid who'd somehow gotten a hold of a long, sharp katana, and you had disaster brewing in a pot.

"Hey, billboard-brow," the blonde greeted warmly. "Wanna get a drink? My treat."

Sakura sighed ruefully, already envisioning a tall glass of red wine. "Oh, but I can't! Today's my first day of…accompanying Sasuke."

"'_Accompanying'_?" Ino giggled. "You sound like a secretive concubine, Sakura."

"Shut it," the pinkette grumbled back. "I think I'd rather be a concubine than Sasuke's babysitter..."

"I'd rather have a concubine that be babysat."

Ino's eyes widened as she glanced at a spot behind Sakura's head, out of the medic's view. Sakura turned around. Sure enough, standing right behind her, was an ever-pissed off Sasuke.

Aw, fuck. Kami was somewhere out there, laughing his godly ass off.

"H-Hey, Sasuke. Didn't see you there." She noticed the bags in his hands. "What's that?"

"Food." He said curtly before walking past her.

Sakura made a face at his retreating back. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?

Wrong, as usual.

Because the retreating Uchiha's timing was, just like everything else about him, impeccable. He stared impassively at her extended tongue and wrinkled brow. "…Your face will get stuck like that, Sakura."

Said Sakura was currently in a stunned stupor. _I am so in trouble, shit shit shit._

Ino giggled.

Damned Uchihas.

-oOoOo-

"I'm home," Sakura called out instinctively, then slapped a hand over her mouth. _Stupid!_ This wasn't her home, it was her…assignment. Her temporary shelter. She had no right calling the gloomy estate her _home_, even if she possessed the keys and had spent the previous day tidying up the place.

Much to her surprise (_she'd learned by now that when a certain Uchiha was involved, new surprises came every day_), a pleasant smell was wafting through the house.

"Sasuke?" She tentatively asked, striding into the large kitchen (_Dammit, everything about the place seemed to be large_).

"Hn." Yep, Uchiha Sasuke was in the kitchen, wearing an apron, standing in front of the heated stove, and _cooking. _She longed for her camera; if this wasn't a Kodak moment, she didn't know what was.

Sakura scrambled over to the stove. "S-Sorry I'm a bit late, I had to…talk to Ino…I'll take over, if you want."

"I'm already done," he replied coolly, probably due to recollections of what had happened a scant hour ago.

Sakura flushed crimson, no doubt also looking back at her humiliation. "O-Okay." She peered around him, trying to see what unquestionably scrumptious meal he'd cooked. Because Uchihas were always perfect, and Sasuke was no exception.

There, sitting smack dab in the middle of the pan, somewhat burnt and crispy at the edges, were two unwashed, uncut tomatoes.

Sakura burst into laughter.

"What?" The baffled-looking man said defensively.

"Sasuke, I guess there _is _something you're bad at," she spit out between her giggles.

He looked offended. "Hn."

"Sorry," Sakura apologized, wiping traces of tears from her sparkling emerald eyes. "It's just…don't you know you have to _cut_ the tomatoes before you cook them?"

"Huh?"

"And you can't just eat tomatoes like that! You need to cook them with something!"

The blank look in Sasuke's usually expressionless, uncaring eyes nearly set her off into giggles again.

The pinkette grinned. "Oh well, they can probably still be salvaged. Sasuke, hand me the cutting board and knife, please. Oh, and another pan…"

The bewildered male was only too happy to oblige.

-oOoOo-

"_Ahhh_, I'm stuffed," a satisfied Sakura leaned back in her chair and stretched lazily.

She'd managed to somewhat recover the poor tomatoes and cook them—along with rice and a few cubes of chopped pork—into a savory tomato fried rice dish. All of her nervousness had dissolved as the two stood side by side in the kitchen, chopping food and cooking rice, having an occasional conversation about the weather or politics or just some polite small talk to pass the time. It was honestly a bit shocking to her how nice Sasuke was when he _wanted_ to be.

Either way, it seemed that one of Sasuke's many icy barriers that blockaded his heart had melted.

_One down, 999,999 left to go, _Sakura thought wryly, unconsciously forming her mouth into a smile.

"Something funny?"

She blushed a faint pink. "Nothing! It's just…um…I was thinking, we should go shopping for supplies…like, um, soap and shampoo and stuff."

Now that she mentioned it, the house, although clean now, was virtually empty, save for a few suitcases of her clothes that she'd brought in the previous night and a room full of Sasuke's stuff. But there were no necessary everyday provisions, such as the aforementioned soap, shampoo, and even toilet paper.

"Then let's go," Sasuke said simply, getting up and retrieving a jacket from a nearby closet.

"R-right now?" Sakura squeaked in surprise. Well, it _was _just barely seven, so she supposed there was enough time… "What about the dishes?"

"They can wait."

"But..."

"You coming?" The raven-haired man was already unlatching the front door. Sakura blinked.

"Uh…yeah! Coming!"

-oOoOo-

The stares were boring into her back.

Well, not literally. But Sakura bit her lip, not quite reveling in the gazes of everyone in the nearby vicinity. A cashier had even stopped scanning purchases to point and gape.

It wasn't _her _so much as the oblivious male next to her.

Because he was an Uchiha. _The _Uchiha.

Rumors had circulated during his two-and-three-quarters year long '_leave of absence_,' so to speak. And once they started, they were impossible to stop. Half the villagers believed he single-handedly destroyed a village and the other half thought he was the devil incarnate, which made the stares all the more unnerving. She did her best to ignore the pointed glances angled at her, instead concentrating on Sasuke, who was currently looking back and forth between two bottles of shampoo indecisively.

Finally, he seemed to favor one over the other, and said as much. Sakura silently let out a sigh of relief, eager to leave the store.

They quickly paid for their items and left, not that the dumbstruck cashier was any help. The air was chilly outside now, and Sakura unconsciously shivered and rubbed her arms.

A warm fabric draped over her shoulders, shooing away the cold. His jacket. "Sasuke…?"

"You're cold, right?"

"Oh…thanks," she awkwardly put on the too-large navy jacket, imprinted—like the majority of his clothes—with a large Uchiha fan on the back. The jacket was already nice and toasty; with a blush, she realized it was Sasuke's body heat.

_I wonder if I look like his girlfriend, walking with him and wearing his jacket… _she pondered, before batting the thought away with another blush. She was thankful for the cold; it gave her an excuse for her reddened cheeks.

A bright shop caught her eyes. "Ah, Sasuke…"

"Hn?"

"Want some ice cream?" The idea was absurd in a way; it was freezing out here and she was suggesting ice cream! But nonetheless, the side of his lips pulled up in a small half-smile (_her heart skipped a beat) _and he nodded.

A welcoming bell jingled as they strode into the ice cream parlor.

The somewhat-awed-looking teen behind the counter stammered as they ordered their desserts, which Sakura and Sasuke ignored. Once again, they swiftly footed the bill and left before the teen could start asking for an autograph or say something stupid to provoke the Uchiha. Provoked Uchihas had a tendency to get mad and destroy things.

"What flavor did you get?" The pinkette slowly licked her vanilla cone, savoring the rich creamy taste.

"Mint chocolate chip. You?"

She smiled. "I'm a vanilla person."

"Does it taste good?" Sasuke stared dubiously at the swirled ice cream cone.

"Sure does. Wanna try some?" She offered, before realizing what she'd just said. She was too old to be worrying about indirect kisses and all that silly stuff, but she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"…Sure," he replied, much to her surprise. But she didn't get a chance to say anything, as just then he leaned over closer and closer and _closer_ and his lips slowly touched hers, soft, warm lips that tasted of mint chocolate chip and tomatoes.

And just as slowly, he pulled away, a soft _(almost gentle) _smile on his face. For the first time in the many years she'd known him, his eyes were warm.

"You're right. It's delicious."

* * *

**A/N: **That was so sweet to write, I almost got diabetes. :D

The next chapter is going to contain some action, though, since this one was kind of boring in a way. Argh, whatever.

Karin and the rest of Team Taka will eventually make an appearance, as well as some other past characters from both the canon storyline and anime fillers.

**Review? I'll give you a cookie!**

Thank you!

~**Haunted**_Moonlight_~


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Chapter three already!

This chapter leaves a lot of questions and no answers, be warned!

_BTW, for anyone following the manga... Even though his mask's off, I still don't think Obito's Madara/Tobi. Someone has to be controlling him...it's just too weird..._

**Disclaimer: **Naruto belongs to its rightful owners-not me.

* * *

"So Sakura," Tsunade said. "How was day one?"

The pinkette's nervous fidgeting and changed demeanor wasn't lost on the Godaime. "I-It was fine, Tsunade-sensei."

"You don't look fine to me."

"I'm just tired."

"…Did you sleep with him?"

"No!" Sakura exclaimed, cheeks flaming.

Tsunade shrugged. "Just checking. I wouldn't mind having a few grandchildren…" She watched her pupil's face in amusement for a few seconds before getting down to the real reason she'd called Sakura to her office. "Sakura, do you think he's ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"Ready to go on his first mission as an official Konoha jounin, becau—"

"Wait a minute," Sakura interrupted. "Since when was Sasuke a jounin? Technically, shouldn't he still be a genin?" She asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"_Technically _he is a genin. _Technically_," Tsunade emphasized, calmly sipping her tea. "But it's logical to just fast-forward him to jounin status, isn't it?"

"Tsunade-sensei, that's not—!"

"Think about it. He more than qualifies for jounin status. If he actually took the chuunin exams and jounin exams, his opponents might well end up dead," Tsunade snorted. "Besides, it's not like any sane genin or chuunin is willing to fight him. Besides maybe Naruto, and he's a fool who can't pass the jounin written exams anyways."

"Point taken." Sakura grimaced. "But why a mission so soon? He's barely been back for two days."

"Yes, well…" Tsunade paused uncertainly. "You probably already know that, in his mission to exact revenge upon Itachi, Sasuke formed a team. Team Taka."

The pink-haired woman frowned upon hearing the name. She'd only met Team Taka twice, but images of an obnoxious redhead hanging all over Sasuke immediately came to mind. "What about them?" She snapped. The thought of her Sasuke even being near that redhead… But wait, since when was Sasuke hers?

She briefly recalled last evening's kiss, and the completely G-rated night of affection that had followed it.

The Godaime sighed. She, too, was well aware of Sasuke's red-haired sensor teammate, and was also aware that the only reason Sasuke had kept her around was because of her skilled sensory abilities. It was also obvious that Sakura disliked—no, _despised_—the redhead for her proximity to Sasuke. _This is going to be difficult, _she concluded, before locking her eyes onto her pupil's narrowed emerald orbs.

"Sakura, we have reason to believe that Team Taka recently formed a direct alliance to Madara—especially since Sasuke left, and they are without a leader."

"So?"

Tsunade held up a finger. "ANBU Surveillance and…undisclosed sources have given us reason to believe that Team Taka is currently hiding in Otogakure."

"…Wait, you want Sasuke to capture them and bring them to Konoha for interrogation?" Sakura looked dumbfounded. "Y-You can't let him go alone! There are three of them and one of him! No matter how good he is…if he gets hurt…"

"I know, I know," Tsunade replied. "Which is why I'm assigning you to go with him."

-oOoOo-

Sakura leaned against the tree trunk, her head still spinning from a mixture of disbelief and being overloaded with information.

She remembered her sensei's strict instructions. '_You are to leave tonight and pose as a newlywed couple. Of course, you'll be given full makeovers—wigs, facial distortion jutsus, and the like—this afternoon, as Team Taka would easily recognize you and Sasuke. Capture them as quickly as possible and return to Konoha. If you're not back in three days, backup will be sent. Understood?'_

She had nodded and retreated to the training grounds, where she was currently having a minor breakdown. Everything was just progressing so _fast_.

First they had been full of animosity towards each other…then they'd warmed up…then was the kiss…and now this?

"…Sakura?"

She looked up, startled. "Sasuke?"

Too late, she realized he was shirtless. "P-Put something on!" She spluttered indignantly, deliberately looking away. He _did_ have an extremely fine chiseled chest, but now was so not the time.

He chuckled, a deep, throaty chuckle that made her insides flutter. "Like what you see?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, still inadvertently avoiding his eyes. "No! W-What are you doing here?"

"Me?" His eyebrow rose. "I've been training here for a few hours. I was taking a break when I noticed you having an apparent nervous meltdown." The corner of his mouth twitched, forming that irresistible half-smile that made her want to pull him close and…

She slapped herself.

"Sakura?" He looked bemused.

"Nothing! That is…um…there was a fly on me and…"

"Sure," he accepted with a knowing smirk.

"Anyways," Sakura quickly interjected, praying that her face wasn't _too _flushed. "I have some interesting news from Tsunade-sensei."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You can refuse if you want. I'd totally understand, considering how they were your team for a while and you might still have some bonds with them and everything…" She mumbled, twisting a strand of her hair apprehensively.

"Woah there," he placed his hand over her babbling mouth. She briefly wondered how many times it was possible to blush in a single hour. "Let me guess…she wants us to apprehend Team Taka while posing as a couple with a horrible fashion sense and atrocious wigs."

"Uh…yep. Pretty much, in a nutshell."

"Okay."

She studied his face, "You're okay with it?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He regarded her.

"B-Because they're your old teammates and…"

"You should know by now that my conscience isn't exactly big on things like bonds and allegiances, Sakura," he deadpanned without a trace of humor. She shrunk a little from his suddenly guarded gaze.

She suddenly regretted mentioning it. "R-right."

Sasuke must've noticed her sudden uneasiness because his next words were playful. "Besides, I'm a Konoha-nin now, aren't I?"

"Yeah…" He was with her now, and that was all that mattered, right?

_So why did he still feel so far away?_

-oOoOo-

Sakura anxiously pulled at her stringy blond hair. She knew it was only a temporary jutsu, but she still couldn't help but pine for her vibrant pink hair. She did _not_ look good as a blonde.

_But he does, _she thought, gazing secretively at a certain man. He now sported a head of dirty-blond flippy hair and his Sharingan was completely neutralized by a pair of deep blue contacts. Despite the rather scowl on his face, he looked handsome.

_Of course, he could be bald and sport a Hitler-esque mustache and he'd still be hot, _Sakura sighed. Some people were just born beautiful.

"Sakura-chan! Teme!" A familiar voice called out.

"Hn."

"Naruto, what're you doing here?" It suddenly occurred to Sakura that it had been far too long since she'd last talked to Naruto. What with all their missions, and then Sasuke's return and the turmoil that followed, they hadn't had a chance to catch up in what felt like weeks. "Weren't you on a mission with Team 8?"

"Just got back," the blonde beamed. Suddenly, he seemed to notice the blatant changes in his friends' appearances. "Woah! Have you all decided to imitate my blonde hotness and give yourselves bad haircuts and dye-jobs?"

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered, apparently still angry about his new looks. He might not have been blatant about it, but he was still ferociously proud of his Uchiha-genetics and natural good looks.

"Teme!" Naruto glared at his friend. "You wanna go?"

"It's a mission," Sakura butted in, nervously waving around her hands before Sasuke could respond. "We have to go undercover," she explained.

"Oh." Naruto blinked. "Teme, can you go away for a minute?"

Sasuke just looked expectantly at the blonde shinobi.

"I have to talk to Sakura-chan. Alone."

Obviously displeased with the turn of events—and the appearance of Naruto—the Uchiha stormed a few yards away and leaned against a wall, waiting.

"Uh…what's up, Naruto?"

Naruto stared intently at the pinkette. "Sakura-chan…" he said, suddenly dead serious.

"Yeah…?"

"Has…has teme done anything to you?"

Sakura flushed red. "W-What do you mean?"

"Like…touched you or something." Naruto looked away, visibly embarrassed, even though it was Sakura who had the red cheeks to prove it.

"Baka!" She glowered at the sweat-dropping blonde. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, never mind then." Naruto stammered, only too happy to back off. "I just heard…"

"You heard?"

"It's nothing. Sorry," he apologized. Sakura just glared at the swiftly retreating Naruto until he was out of sight.

"What was _that _about? Me touching you? Who does he think I am, a child molester?"

Her eyes widened. "You heard?"

The smirk on his face gave it all away. "Hn."

"What if someone saw…last night…"

"Last night? Oh, you mean that?" He scoffed. "It was only a kiss, nothing for Naruto to get all worked up about. Geez."

Sakura turned away. _'…nothing...to get worked up about.' So that's how he thinks about it, huh? I'm such an idiot…to get all worked up over a kiss that means nothing._

"Sakura? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, still facing away from him. "You should go take care of any last minute stuff; we have to leave in two hours."

"…Right. See you later."

"Yeah," she echoed. "See you later."

-oOoOo-

She hummed the theme song to _Captain Ramen_, her favorite TV show.

_Suitcase? Check. Transformation Jutsu? Check. Hidden bag of kunais and scrolls? Check. Everything seems to be in order, _she thought, mentally browsing through her checklist. It was only a three day trip at most, so there wasn't much to be prepared.

_Now all there's left to do is to report to Tsunade-sensei one more time_, she thought as she ascended the long, winding staircase of the Hokage Tower.

"…_you hear? About Uchiha Sasuke. He's back!"_ A young, excited female voice hissed. _Probably one of Tsunade-sensei's office aides, _Sakura mused with a hint of amusement.

Another voice, just as high-pitched and fan-girly, joined the first. "_I know! He is so hot!"_

"_I know right? But you know what sucks?_" The first voice pouted.

"_What?"_

"_He's, like, being babysat by that pink-haired girl. You know, Godaime-sama's favorite pupil and, like, Konoha Hospital's head doctor?"_

"_Seriously?" _The second voice cried out in outrage. _"That is just so unfair!"_

"_Yeah," _the first voice sighed ruefully. "_But we can't help it. It's all been planned out."_

"_What do you mean?" _The second voice asked, and Sakura was in agreement. What was the first girl talking about?

"_I heard some of the village elders talking yesterday. Like, since they think the pink-haired girl's all smart and everything, and Sasuke-kun's a total genius, they want the two of them to, like, marry and have super genius kids."_

"_Oh. My. Gosh! Isn't that, like, illegal?"_

"_I dunno! But, like, I guess it's not, because one of the old ladies said that Sasuke-kun already agreed to it. Since he needs to repopulate his clan and everything, and she's apparently the best candidate."_

"_Wow," _the second voice breathed. Sakura was frozen on the stairs. _What?_

"_Yeah, I know. Wow. It's like a…what's the word? Conspiracy!" _

"_Gosh, if Sasuke-kun was so desperate for someone to help him repopulate, I would've volunteered!"_

The first voice laughed. _"Dream on! Oh yeah, did you hear about Mitsuko and Kenji? They totally…"_

Slowly, the voices got further and further away, but Sakura remained immobile in the middle of the vacant staircase. _No way... It couldn't be… _

She remembered his initial indifference towards her, and then his sudden warmth. _'I heard some of the village elders talking yesterday…said that Sasuke-kun already agreed to it…' _

It all fit! How his coldness seemed to suddenly evaporate yesterday, as opposed to the day before when they'd been frigid towards each other. How he'd kissed her and smiled and joked around…

And how she'd fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.

"I should've known," She whispered bitterly, tears welling up in her eyes. "It was so obvious..."

"Yes, sweetie, you should've known," a soft voice breathed behind her. The smell of sickeningly sweet perfume wafted up and into Sakura's nostrils.

"W-What…?" She was suddenly so, so dizzy and so, so sleepy…

"Sweet dreams, Sakura."

_So that's why he felt so far away… _she thought as she drifted away into the welcoming embrace of the darkness.

The last thing she saw were a pair of glittering ivy orbs.

* * *

**A/N: **Gasp! Who can it be?

Here's a hint: it's not a canon character.

Yes I, the OC-hater, created a sort-of-OC! Except it's not based off me; it's just a random non-canon character established for the plotline of this story. But close enough.

Feel free to guess who the mysterious person is, since I haven't even decided if it's a male of female yet. Lol.

Reviews are greatly appreciated, and help fight off the Writer's Block Demons!

_Thanks!_

~**Haunted**_Moonlight_~


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** If you've ever happened to stumble upon my profile, you'd know that I say that I'm only regularly active during summer.

Luckily for readers of this story, I'm willing to spend my after-school nights working on this, but that doesn't mean you'll get daily updates! At best, they'll be every few days. At worst, you'll have to wait a week or more.

I'll try my best to update, and reviews _do _motivate me, so feel free to leave a review or two or three!

Muchos gracias to **Life'sNotPerfect**, **C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only**, and **The Fortune Teller** for your entertaining, thoughtful, nice reviews! You guys—and everyone else who reviewed—make my life just that much brighter.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto belongs to its rightful owners.

* * *

She awoke with a blossoming headache, the vestiges of stale perfume threatening to suffocate her. "What…?" She attempted to stand up, with no luck. Whatever had happened to her left her groggy and weak.

"Finally awake?" A soft, melodic voice chirped.

With difficulty, Sakura managed to turn her head in the direction of the voice. A petite—but stunningly beautiful—woman stood there. Her long, navy hair cascaded to her waist. She looked no more than ten years Sakura's senior; Sakura guessed her age to be thirty. "Who are you?"

"The name's Midori… Uchiha Midori."

_Impossible, _Sakura wanted to yell, but she knew better. Who knew if the woman was deranged or crazy? She was in no position to fight or defend herself. "But…the Uchihas were all…"

"Massacred by Itachi, I know," another humorless laugh. Her ivy eyes flashed with something dark—pain, perhaps?

"And…" Sakura hesitated, studying her captor's beautiful green orbs. "You don't have a Sharingan."

"Smart girl." Midori smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile. It was a smile that chilled Sakura to the core. Very similar to the acidic smile of a certain man. _Yep, definitely an Uchiha. _"It might have something to do with the fact that I'm half-Haruno."

The pinkette's eyes widened. Every student at the Academy had learned about how the Uchihas hated to mingle their genes with that of other clans. That was one of the reasons the Uchiha clan was so strong, and their Kekkei Genkai was so powerful.

"Sure, it's uncommon, but it was just another love story in the end. My dad fell in love with a non-Uchiha. It caused a huge scandal, but they managed to overcome everything somehow. Of course, that didn't stop me from being bullied, or my mother from dying when I was seven."

"I'm sorr—"

"Young Academy-aged kids are the cruelest creatures on this planet," Midori continued on as if in a trance. "Just because I had green eyes and my name means '_green,_' everyone picked on me. The teachers did nothing of course. I had to beat them all, to _prove them wrong_! So that's what I did! I studied, worked hard, did my best, and it all paid off. Karma rewarded me."

"I don't see how—"

"Not only was I gifted with a jounin ANBU position at age seventeen, but I also met the love of my life."

_I don't see where this is going, _Sakura thought to herself. The door was so close, if she made a run for it, maybe…

"Uchiha Itachi."

With those two words, Sakura was jerked back to reality. _Sasuke's brother!_

"Yes, we fell in love. Those were the best five years of my life. But then _Konoha_," Midori's eyes blazed with blatant hatred. "Ordered Itachi. To kill us all."

Sakura held her breath.

"When he got to me—he'd already dealt with my father—he just couldn't do it. We substituted a body of similar build and size and escaped far, far away. Itachi joined the Akatsuki and I waited in a small village. The days when he was allowed to come visit me made it all worth it...

"Until one day Itachi left and never came back."

Midori paused here, her fingers clenching into a strong but shaking fist.

"He'd been murdered. Murdered by the very little brother that he'd sacrificed everything for to save. _Murdered._"

"Sasuke thought—"

"_I don't care what the bastard thought!" _For a moment, her orbs seemed to glow crimson before cooling back down to green. "Whatever he thought, he thought was _wrong. _Because of him, I lost my lover, my protector, my best friend.

"That's why," Midori looked at Sakura now. It was a contemplative, controlled look. "I'm going to let him experience the same damn thing!"

_Oh. _It finally dawned on her. "You're going to use me to hurt him," Sakura said in an almost dreamlike voice.

"Exactly."

"It won't work."

"It's all planned out, honey. I've left him a note with directions. Your job is just to sit tight and watch the fun."

"He won't come for me."

"Sweetheart, drop the act."

"An act, that's what it was. Just an act. He doesn't love me, or even like me. I'm just an object to be used by him. Nothing more."

"Don't be stupid," Midori said, but she was frowning ever so slightly. "He'll come. Just you wait."

So they waited.

-oOoOo-

The sun was beginning its downward spiral when Midori finally stood up. She looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"He's here," she grinned triumphantly. "Perfect."

"…You're lying." Sakura's expression didn't falter.

Midori just smiled.

"You can't beat him anyways. He's strong. Stronger than Itachi."

"Darling," Midori pulled on a pair of Chakra-Block gloves and grabbed a long katana, not dissimilar to Sasuke's blade, although this one was thinner and looked lighter. She was in battle-mode now; Sakura could see it in her eyes. It was the same cold, hard look she'd seen so many times before in the faces of the young and old, fresh and scarred. A look of weariness and determination. "So am I."

And that was that, because at that moment a cautious voice called out, "Sakura? Hello?"

"Sasuke! Go awa—" A gloved hand harshly covered her mouth.

"Up here, sweetie!" Midori said in a sing-song voice.

He was more tentative this time around. There was the sharp noise of a sword being unsheathed. "Who are you?"

Pause.

"Why don't you come find out, hm?"

Another pause, and then a series of _thump_s as he ascended the stairs.

The first thing Sakura saw was his hair, his stupid chicken-butt hair (_now that she thought about it, the same shade as Midori's hair)_. Then his face. Then his Uchiha-crested flak jacket and navy khakis. He clutched his long, sleek katana in his hands.

"…You. I know you." Sasuke surveyed the scene, his eyes landing on the smirking Midori. "Itachi brought you home once. His girlfriend…you should be dead," he stated coolly.

"As I remember you," Midori said. "The wretched brat of a baby brother who killed Itachi for _no reason._"

"I had a reason."

"A stupid, wrong, inaccurate one."

"I was misinformed."

Midori sneered, and when she spoke, her voice was dripping with contempt. "I'm sure you were…_Sasuke_."

A long, uncomfortable silence ensued.

"Give me Sakura."

"Why?" Midori countered. "You took Itachi's life, so why shouldn't I take hers? An eye for an eye, a life for a life. That's the way this world works, honey. Get used to it."

Silence. _What was it with Uchihas and silences?_ Off in the distance, Sakura heard a cricket chirping and wondered where they were right now. _I don't think we're in Konoha anymore, huh?_

"I'll fight you," Sasuke said flatly, expressionlessly. "Just…get her to safety first."

"Worried about your little girlfriend getting hurt?" Midori mocked.

Sasuke growled and stepped closer.

Without missing a beat, the female Uchiha grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her close, pressing her katana against her neck. "You might find it in Sakura's best interests to back away. _Now_." Her voice was melted venom. Sasuke reluctantly took three steps back, still not relaxing his stance.

The sharpened blade was icy against Sakura's neck, and all of a sudden she was hyperaware of everything. _Must be the adrenaline, _she grimly surmised and tried her best not to shake. The tiniest movement could cause the blade to draw blood.

"What do you want?" Sasuke hissed, his eyes never leaving the katana. Watching, waiting, biding his time. An Uchiha strategy to be sure. A strategy that was almost foolproof…except he wasn't the only Uchiha in town anymore.

_Complications._

"To be honest, I don't even know anymore." Midori's grip on the katana tightened ever so slightly.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. _Calm down, calm down, don't panic… _

"What's the point of this, then?" Another emotionless question from the apathetic man facing her.

The reply was instantaneous and matter-of-fact. "To hurt you."

"You're not very good at this whole revenge thing, are you?"

"Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. As of now, that is."

Sakura wanted to scream. _Here she was, a blade at her neck, and they were carrying on a pleasant conversation? For Kami's sake!_

"…So where do we go from here?" Sasuke once again looked around, his eyes lingering on Sakura's frightened emerald orbs before nonchalantly sweeping the rest of the small room.

"We fight." Midori said. "What are you waiting for?"

"Remove your katana from her neck. Then we fight."

"Like hell I will. You're just going to grab your damsel in distress and run like the coward you are!"

Sasuke shrugged, but his eyes were burning. Being called a _'coward' _was one of the grimmest insults you could direct at an Uchiha, next to _'stupid' _and _'useless.' _"You asked for it."

In a blur of motion, his sword was unsheathed and he was running at Midori, his sword crackling with the current of a blazing chidori.

Midori blinked and grabbed the oncoming sword casually, her grip on the katana that was pressed against Sakura's neck unfaltering. "Is that all, little boy?"

_How…? Oh! The gloves! _Sakura realized. The Chakra-Block gloves! They blocked off the Chidori and were strong enough to stop the Sword of Kusanagi without drawing blood, or even garnering a bruise. 'Gloves,' she mouthed at Sasuke. Sure, she was currently upset towards Sasuke, but that didn't mean she'd let him die. Not on her watch.

Almost imperceptibly, the raven-haired man nodded before tearing his katana from Midori's grip and leaping backwards.

"My turn," Midori whispered. In a flash of motion—without the slightest indication of what she was about to do—four shadow clones were at her side.

The clones each materialized two short katanas from who-knows-where and tossed them at a spot in the middle of the room. "_Shi no ken'nomai!_"

In a flash of blinding light, the eight swords flung across the room, on a path to impale their intended target. Instead, they imbedded into the wall opposite Midori and Sakura.

"Too slow." Sasuke was already across the room. "But I don't seem to recognize that jutsu."

"You shouldn't," Midori smirked. Her clones dissolved into puffs of smoke. "I created it."

"Such a simple sword trick?"

"Think again."

With a burst of formidable energy, the blades retracted from the wall and once again hurled at Sasuke. He dodged, but not fast enough.

A flicker of pain wavered across his face as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. In one fast movement, he tore off the sleeve of his shirt and staunched the wound. "Tsk."

"Why don't you use your Sharingan?" Midori asked with sincere curiosity. Sakura agreed. If he used the Sharingan and summoned the Amaterasu flames or Susanoo, it would be over in a heartbeat.

Sasuke scowled. "It's currently... incapacitated."

Midori laughed. "That makes it easier."

"Hn."

"You've become…domestic, Sasuke." She paused thoughtfully. "Nothing like your brother."

"Shut up." He snarled, murder in his eyes. Midori was no fool; she know she couldn't fight Sasuke with one hand incapacitated at Sakura's throat. She quickly grabbed chakra ropes from a nearby table and, with practiced expertise, tied them sturdily around Sakura's wrists. "Be a good girl and wait here while I take care of business."

Sakura struggled, but to no avail. The ropes easily sapped away her superhuman strength. _Better to conserve my chakra for later, _she determined. _But for now, there's nothing I can do…_

"Now, Sasuke, where were we?"

"I was just about to kill you," he suggested.

She just leered at him tauntingly. "Do your best."

"_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" _A huge fireball materialized and shot towards Midori.

"_Suiton: Bakusui Shoha!" _An equally large wave deflected and consumed the flaming sphere. Not allowing Sasuke another chance to gain the offensive, she attacked. "_Kaminari tenohira sutoraiki!"_ She clenched her hands into fists and opened them. Two huge bursts of lightning exploded from her open palms.

"_Chidori senbon!" _Sasuke countered quickly. Hundreds of small, sharp senbon needles flew at the oncoming lightning strikes, effectively diffusing them.

_Shit, if only he could use the Sharingan! _Sakura thought. The battle was going nowhere; it was obvious that they were equal in strength and skill. The Sharingan—or lack thereof—would be the deciding factor.

Midori seemed to realize it too. With a wicked smile, she made a flurry of hand motions. _"Konoyo no jigoku," _a shower of large, jagged rocks started to rain down. One narrowly missed Sakura by mere centimeters. _I should be okay, they don't seem to be coming too close to me._

"Sakura! Above you!"

With a gasp, she glanced up, just in time to spot the huge boulder quickly descending towards her head. It was _too close._

She squeezed her eyes shut; hopefully, death would be quick and painless.

_Good-bye, Sasuke._

* * *

**A/N: **Ahh, the battle was lame. Whatever, I did my best!

Midori's past is still a little murky (especially the part about her being a half-Haruno. Gasp, could she be related to Sakura?). I left it vague on purpose, so I can expand on it later.

**Also I made up the names of some of Midori's justus, with the exception of the shadow clones and Suiton.**

_**Shi no ken'nomai **_**= Sword Dance of Death**

_**Kaminari tenohira sutoraiki **_**= Lightning Palm Strike**

_**Konoyo no jigoku **_**= Hell on Earth**

You may have noticed that Midori used many different releases. For example, her suiton used Water Release and she also used Lightning Release and Earth Release. This will be explained later on…hopefully I won't forget haha.

Ugh I hate how I wrote this chapter but I don't want to redo it! This will probably be edited when I have the chance… Meh.

Review!

Thanks!

~**Haunted**_Moonlight_~


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